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MARY KRAMER: Crain's, WSU help new execs learn the turf

Jim Schmitz moved from Cleveland to Detroit to become the new managing director for wealth management at PNC Bank.

Schmitz knew the market and the players in Cleveland. Now he was learning new turf, and he wanted to learn quickly. He had questions.

What industries are growing in metro Detroit, he asked me. What are the civic causes that the leaders in the business world fall in behind? What nonprofits should he get involved in?

Those questions are typical of many we hear at Crain's from people we meet. And this year, we decided to create a program that would periodically pull new executives together with the most knowledgeable people on specific topics.

On May 17, we'll debut a one-day "crash course on Detroit." We call it "C.E.O. – Crain's Executive Orientation," a partnership with Wayne State University's 20-year-old Detroit Orientation Institute.

It's designed for executives new to Detroit or new to a higher level of C-suite responsibility. If you -- or someone you work with -- fits that description, check out our online invitation at www.crainsdetroit.com/CEO13.

When WSU created its DOI, it was intended to help reporters and editors in the news media as well as executives understand "why Detroit is like it is." Newcomers were baffled by a downtown with no "there there." The political and racial dynamics were difficult to master.

But after 23 years, it was time to hit the reset button. Our one-day immersion will focus on the economy in the region, not just the city. But it will continue to offer behind-the-scenes experiences and top-notch speakers.

"The DOI has been providing a historical context and candid perspective on the political, economic and social issues shaping Detroit and the region for more than 20 years," said Ahmad Ezzeddine, associate vice president at WSU who worked with Crain's on reshaping the program.

"This partnership with Crain's will allow us to engage high-level executives with the many opportunities developing in the city."

Before we devised a new approach, we surveyed alumni of the old DOI as well as C-level executives who had arrived in town or to their positions within the past two years.

They told us they wished they understood better the racial dynamics in the region. But at the same time, they wanted to know where growth would come from and to focus on opportunities, not just how and why Detroit is "broken." They wished they had more advice on which civic and nonprofit causes mattered most. So that's what we plan to offer on May 17 in a fast-paced day.

And to the "transplant" business executives who moved to Southeast Michigan from somewhere else, we ask: What do you wish you knew then what you know now? Let us know. You can help make a softer landing for the next wave of "newbies."